HOW TO DO BUSINESS IN CHINA

This morning I have attended our first lecture at Jiaotong University in Shahghai. I would like to share with you some aspects about business in China. China is the second most important economy in the world. However, to achieve this they have two important engines: industrialization and urbanization process. Nowadays they are modifying its model to a one based on consumption and innovation. And if you as a company want to make business in China you have to take into account three aspects: time frame work, commitment with China and be able to adapt to local characteristics.

In the evening we have visited a company called Era Solar which installs photovoltaic cells with two systems: BIPV (building integrated photovoltaic cells) and BAPV (building adhesive photovoltaic cells). It is the most important company in solar panels.

And at night I have enjoyed a wonderful dinner with my friends as and after we have walked around The Bund.

I hope to enjoy as much as possible the rest of the days.

Comentarios desactivados en HOW TO DO BUSINESS IN CHINA / 25 Feb 2013 por Ángela Pérez Báscones
MBAftmad /

Landing on China

We arrived to Shanghai yesterday morning. After a very long travel, we are here. And yes, perhaps with a little bit of jet lag.

We arrived very early in the morning so we had all the day to enjoy the city but we were so tired. Nevertheless, we visited “People Square” and also we saw the skyline of the city! After that we went to a traditional restaurant to enjoy as much dishes as we could eat; we went back to the hotel and we had a little chat about our Chinese day before go to sleep.

Today it has been our first day at the University. It has started with an introduction about the situation of China nowadays. I liked it, because I have been able to have a wide perspective about what is really important to success doing business in China. We need to see China as an long term investment, to understand their social needs and keep on mind that they have different customs, culture, hobbies, etc.

I actually enjoyed our first class: “Negotiating in China”. The speaker told us the Chinese behavior are different from the West people, and he helped us to understand better the peculiarities of this country, and how to achieve a win-win situation when a foreigner deals with them. There are some key words on this lecture, such as BATNA (best alternative to negotiated agreement), or Fixer (person who speaks Chinese and get for you what you want to get in China).

I finish this long day having dinner in a restaurant near to our hotel and writing this post to you before go to sleep.

See you!

看你以后

Comentarios desactivados en Landing on China / 25 Feb 2013 por Lucia Garcia Rodriguez
MBAftmad /

I am here at China

I have arrived to China 2 days ago, after 20h travel. I saw my firts Chinesse characters. Until now I can say that this trip is being surprising. When we arrived, we go out to star the adventure. We taste new food (sorry but I can´t remember the food name) I went to a Chinesse […]

Comentarios desactivados en I am here at China / 25 Feb 2013 por Andrea Moreno Pelaez
MBAftmad /

my first day in china

Today we start our schedule in China, we have known the Jiao Tong University, there, we have had our two first classes, first of them about chinese economy and society in which we were able to understand how is growing china and how richness is distributed along its population, the second one is about how to do business in china, in it we have learned about the negotiation in this country, and that one of the most important things in order to reach to an accord is to go to the negotiation with more than one solution, be flexible and pacient. To sum up you have to relax.

After a not so long lunchtime we have gone to a solar system company which is the third biggest company in the solar cell sector, it hasn’t been as interesting as the morning time because they have focused the visit in showing us their product, more than explaining their processes and the market they are in.

In the evening we had the chance to go around Shanghai, and visit some emblematic places like people square or the bund.

Comentarios desactivados en my first day in china / 25 Feb 2013 por Alejandro Cuevas Barral
MBAftmad /

First Workday: Is this real Shanghai?

Ni hao!

I start this diarywith a summaryof the day:

In the morning we have a conference by Carlos Pascual, from the Spanish Commercial Office in Shanghai, was very very clear and useful, about the Chinese economy and issues for the external companies.

Also we attended a great class with Gabor Holch, a Campanile consultor that knows everything inside the Chinese way of thinking at business: the decisors, the scope of the planned economy, the role of the industrial takeoff… so pleased to him

But the evening was different, we went to the ERA solar facilities near Shanghai.

ERA is the ¿only? solar panel manufacturer here, and the facilities are a cottage and some offices

In the cottage they show us their products, it seems like the hall of a hardware and gardening store, useless for our studies

Then, we had a warm welcome and a presentation with the company manager. He was clear but slow and simple in explanations

The conclusions of this visit are: Chinese people are very friendly, the solar energy technology are a little below the Spanish one, and we had no chance to see the processes or the factory work.

Comentarios desactivados en First Workday: Is this real Shanghai? / 25 Feb 2013 por Gonzalo Ramos de la Cruz
MBAftmad /

Day 1 in Shanghai

Actually we arrived yesterday, the sightseeing of Shanghai was awesome and the flash class of basic expressions in Chinese was very good too.

Today was our first day of classes at Jiaotong, we had a presentation by the director of the University and the teacher who organized everything to receive us. It was a very warm welcome.

After that Carlos Pascual, from the Trade Comission of the Embassy of Spain in Sanghai, did a presentation and he talked about the positive changes of China in the last decades and the positive changes that are yet to come.

Then we had our first class about Negotiation in China, it was great! Our teacher, Gabor Holch, gave us a lot of useful information and tips that can help us negotiating not only with Chinese people, but with people from any country. He showed with examples that even if cultures and habits are different, the core is the same, we all have needs and negotiating is about finding joint solutions that satisfy those needs.

Comentarios desactivados en Day 1 in Shanghai / 25 Feb 2013 por Erick Eduardo Arevalo Abello
MBAftmad /

Ni hao China!

Yesterday was our first day in this huge city, Shanghai, and we suffered the tiredness of the jetlag. We went to a welcome speech and we could not keep our eyes open, but with a little restoring rest after that we went for a walk around the neighborhood; I felt like a tiny being surrounded by large buildings and theirs lights.

Today we started with the real motive of the trip, studies. Negotiation in China was the issue of the lecturer and although we were not much awake, the speaker knew how to wake up our interest soon. It is amazing to know about the way to behave during a negotiation with chinese people, theirs thoughts, customs how to deal, and other curiosities that are completely different from Spain. It is complicated to decide to do business in China but even more to carry it out.

The burocracy system is slow and complicated when you are a foreigner trying to establish your business. But you must never forget to adapt yourself to the culture when you deal with the chinese, they are often tend to slow down and analize everything, so don’t be in a hurry if you want to close a deal with them, the secret is to keep playing having a really good speech and a clear BATNA (best alternative to negociated agreement) and to do your best to get a win-win strategy. There exist strong regulations to do business and the transparency does not exist, all the decisions about everything are taken by the gobernment, and this fact affects the contracts and the way to do business in China.

I knew that to produce or manufacture in China was cheap but I did not know that Vietnam, Indonesia or India are even cheaper, but the success in China is the volumen that its workforce can produce.

Well, it is time to go for a walk and discover new things in this amazing city !

Comentarios desactivados en Ni hao China! / 25 Feb 2013 por Marina Espigares Rooney
MBAftmad /

2 days in Shanghai…

Today we started the classes at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. At the introductory session, the counselor of Spanish commerce in Shanghai, Carlos Pascual Pons, explained the main economic features and implications for companies when they decide to stablish their business in the country.

After that, we had a lecture about “negotiating in china”, a comprehensive introduction into the challenges of China and how to apply negotiation methods to overcome them.

All the issues have been very interesting, Charles and Gabor are experimented professionals working here and we could learn a lot from them, plus they are a exceptional speakers.

After lunch we continue the program visiting a factory of solar panels, ERA Solar, which is one of the leading PV silicon cell and module manufactures in China. Although I had high expectations, the visit was quite disappointing.

In spite of all the balance is positive…

Comentarios desactivados en 2 days in Shanghai… / 25 Feb 2013 por Maria de las Mercedes Perez
MBAftmad /

SECOND DAY IN SHANGHAI

Yesterday was the arrival to the city. It was a long trip and we arrived very tired, but still, after settling in the hotel, we went for a walk around the city, and the things I saw were amazing.

Today, Monday, we had very interesting lessons about negotiating in China, and we visited the ERA SOLAR. It was the first time I was in a business room.

I will keep you informed during my trip….

Comentarios desactivados en SECOND DAY IN SHANGHAI / 25 Feb 2013 por Maria del Pilar Jimenez Castilla
MBAftmad /

Here in Shanghai!!!!

Good afternoon from Shanghai. After 13 hours of travel, we arrived to Shanghai, we had a horrible jet lag, I just slept a few hours but we had a lot of fun.

We have been here just one day, but this city is beautiful (except for the food). This morning we have been in JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY learning how to do negotiation in China and I have loved it. In the afternoon we have visited the company ERA SOLAR, one of the most important companies in Shanghai.